Department for Transport

Cycleways: Greater London

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to designate roads that form part of strategic cycle networks in London, such as the Cycle Superhighways, as Greater London Authority roads.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The government has no such plans.　 Any re-designation would be a matter for the Mayor and the Greater London Authority.

Cycling: Safety

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to help protect cyclists from collisions with heavy goods vehicles caused by the driver being unable to see the cyclist on the near side.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is committed to ensuring the roads are safe for all road users. The European Union has required improved mirrors on new models of heavy goods vehicle launched after 30 June 2014. 　Further　changes are expected in due course, to allow camera monitoring systems and the redesign of lorry cabs for better vision.   We are also watching closely the impact of Transport for London's proposals in this area, including the Safer Lorry Scheme.

Motorway Service Areas

Lord Steel of Aikwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage motorway service station signs to advertise on approaching road signs the brand and prices of fuel they are selling.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is currently finalising the detailed design for trialling new traffic signs, displaying comparative motorway fuel prices, to provide greater transparency on the pricing of fuel at service areas and to encourage competition. The first sign will be installed this Winter, with the remaining three signs by Spring 2016.

Rescue Services: Training

Lord Carlile of Berriew: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the standard of training for air-sea rescue, formerly provided by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, is maintained under the contract with Bristow Group.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The standard of training provided by Bristow Helicopters for its search and rescue (SAR) helicopter crews is scrutinised in two separate ways. Firstly, as a civil helicopter operator, Bristow Helicopters is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Bristow must demonstrate to the CAA that its crews have at least the minimum standard of training the regulator requires for the SAR services Bristow provides to the Government. Secondly, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will regularly audit Bristow’s contractual compliance with its contract specification, much of which mirrors the military’s SAR standards.

South Wales Railway Line: Electrification

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there has been any revision to the target date for the completion of the electrification of the South Wales Main Line railway link between London and Swansea.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As the Prime Minister stated on 24th June 2015, this Government is committed to the electrification of Great Western line from Swansea to Cardiff and on to London.   The Secretary of State for Transport announced on the 25th June 2015 that Great Western was a top priority for delivery and　that is why he has asked Sir Peter Hendy, the new chair of Network Rail, to put forward proposals for replanning the enhancement programme across England and Wales, which includes electrification.　 Sir Peter is due to report to the Secretary of State in the Autumn.

Toxicity of Chemicals in Food Consumer Products and the Environment Committee

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Item 3 of the minutes of the meeting of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food and the Environment (COT) held on 30 June, relating to inaccurate representation of the Committee’s conclusions in official replies, what steps they plan to take to address the fact that COT believes "COT advice to Government ha[s] been repeatedly misrepresented in ministerial communications, including answers to Parliamentary questions"; and whether they plan to inform members of both Houses who receive those answers about their correspondence with COT on this issue.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Department for Transport’s officials have held a meeting on 7 September 2015 with the Committee on Toxicology and Public Health England to discuss these concerns. All sides agreed constructive steps to ensure the Committee’s concerns are addressed. The Government plans to write to members of both Houses who have received correspondence or responses to Parliamentary Questions on the issue, with a full description of the Committee’s advice in the light of these discussions with the Committee on Toxicology. A copy of this letter will be placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

A303

Lord Cameron of Dillington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which year they currently expect the dualling of the A303 around Stonehenge to be completed.

Lord Cameron of Dillington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which year they currently expect the dualling of the A303 along the Ilminster by-pass and the A358 link to the M5 to be completed.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Road Investment Strategy sets out an intention to upgrade all remaining single carriageway sections of the A303 between the M3 and the A358 to dual carriageway standard as part of a long-term commitment to creating a new Expressway to the South West. We are starting this process with three major improvements: A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down (Stonehenge), A303 Sparkford to Illchester and the A358 Taunton (M5) to Southfields. Construction of these schemes is expected to start in the first Road Period (by 1 April 2020), depending on planning, and completion is expected by the middle of the 2020s at the latest. We would expect subsequent Road Investment Strategies to fund the remaining improvements, such as to the Illminster by-pass.

Airports: Lost Property

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of lost property is recovered from (1) Heathrow airport, (2) Manchester airport, (3) Liverpool airport, (4) Gatwick airport, and (5) Glasgow airport.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government does not collect statistics on what proportion of lost property is recovered from airports. This is a matter for the airports concerned.

Airports: Lost Property

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what happens to the lost property that is not recovered at (1) Heathrow airport, (2) Manchester airport, (3) Liverpool airport, (4) Gatwick airport, and (5) Glasgow airport; and what revenue, if any, property that is not recovered raises for each airport.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government does not hold information on the lost property arrangements of individual airports or any revenue that they collect as a result. However it is usual practice for items to be retained for a minimum of 90 days and then either auctioned, donated or, where they may be deemed hazardous, to be disposed of in a suitable manner.

Motorways: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the last major maintenance work was undertaken on (1) the junction of the M6 and the A38(M), known as Spaghetti Junction, and (2) the elevated section of the M5 between junctions 1 and 2.

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual cost of maintaining the motorway junction of the M6 with the A38(M), known as Spaghetti Junction, for each of the last 10 years.

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual cost of maintaining the elevated motorway section of the M5 between junctions 1 and 2 for each of the last 10 years.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: From Highways England’s records that are readily available,(1) The last major maintenance work at the junction of the M6 and the A38 (M), known as Spaghetti Junction was undertaken in 1995.   (2) The last major maintenance work at the elevated section of the M5 between junctions 1 and 2 was undertaken in 1987.  On the matter of the annual maintenance cost:   The cost of maintaining the motorway junction of the M6 with the A38(M), known as Spaghetti Junction was approximately £8.2m for the 12 month period July 2014 to June2015.   Costs for earlier periods are not readily available.   The cost of maintaining the elevated section of the M5 between junctions 1 and 2 was approximately £2.4m for the 12 month period July 2014 to June 2015.   Costs for earlier periods are not readily available.

Rescue Services: Belfast

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the coastguard boat based in Belfast was given an Irish Language name; and what steps they plan to take to ensure equality of cultures in any such namings in the future.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Her Majesty’s Coastguard does not have a boat based in Belfast.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Small Businesses: Advisory Services

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Growth Vouchers programme.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Since the growth voucher programme launched in January 2014, we have carried out two qualitative assessments and published the findings. Our evaluation is ongoing. All research and evaluation relating to the programme will be published and can be found at the gov.uk website.

Department for Education

Careers and Enterprise Company

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to reply by Lord Nash on 10 December 2014 (HL Deb, col 1830), what progress has been made in establishing the Careers and Enterprise Company and making it operational.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who is on the board of the Careers and Enterprise Company.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the proposed £20 million funding has been spent on the Careers and Enterprise Company to date; and when its first accounts will be published.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect that the Careers and Enterprise Company has had (1) on the level of employer input into careers education in schools and colleges, and (2) on the quality of careers education in schools and colleges.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Local Enterprise Partnerships have been involved with the Careers and Enterprise Company to date.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the progress of the work by the Careers and Enterprise Company will be reported to Parliament.

Lord Nash: The Careers & Enterprise Company, which was set up to take a lead role in transforming the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement experiences for young people, was incorporated in February 2015. Since then it has been working with employers, schools and colleges, careers, enterprise and employer engagement providers and others to devise its strategy for transforming the way in which schools and colleges, in partnership with employers, help to prepare young people for adult life. On 1 July 2015 the company announced the appointment of Claudia Harris as its Chief Executive Officer and a company board comprising Christine Hodgson, Chair of Capgemini UK (chair); Lord Young of Graffham, former Enterprise Adviser to the Prime Minister; Steve Holliday, Chief Executive Officer of National Grid; Brian Lightman, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders; and Dame Julia Cleverdon, Vice-Patron of Teach First and Vice-President of Business in the Community. The Careers & Enterprise Company has made good progress with its set up and its delivery plans. The company will commence its services in the coming months, including publishing research on ‘what works’ in school-work engagement; launching its £5 million investment fund; and development of a digital ‘Enterprise Passport’ to help young people broaden and showcase their experience. The company has been engaging Local Enterprise Partnerships recently and the enterprise advisers in the network will support schools to improve their careers and enterprise offer, in particular by brokering links with employers and local careers and enterprise providers. To date the company has received £10.95 million from government for its activities leading to delivery of the objectives set out by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State in December. As an independent company, it is for The Careers & Enterprise Company to publish its accounts in accordance with The Companies Act 2006.   My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State is accountable to Parliament in the usual way for progress on improving careers advice and guidance for young people, including the contribution that the company makes to this.

GCSE

Lord Quirk: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the criticisms of GCSEs by the High Master of St Paul’s School who was reported in the press on 18 August as saying that "one size doesn’t fit all" and that "the curse of GCSE is that the size on offer fits no one".

Lord Nash: The government’s plan for education is designed to help every student, regardless of their background, develop the knowledge, skills and values to prepare them for life in modern Britain. That is why we are reforming GCSEs and A levels to be robust and rigorous, to match the best education systems in the world and to keep pace with universities’ and employers’ demands.   We have also introduced gold-standard technical and vocational qualifications, ensuring our young people can choose from a wide range of academic and vocational courses.The government has consulted extensively with a range of educational stakeholders including the teaching sectors and employers.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Older People

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) males, and (2) females, over the age of 80 are currently serving sentences in prisons in England and Wales.

Lord Faulks: As at 30 June 2015 there were 133 male, and 1 female, prisoners aged over 80 years serving sentences in England and Wales.

Electronic Tagging

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to address the delays in implementing the contract for GPS electronic tagging technology.

Lord Faulks: A comprehensive review of the Electronic Monitoring programme to introduce GPS technology is underway.

Ministry of Defence

HMS Queen Elizabeth: Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the purchase of sufficient F35B Sea Lightnings to form a carrier air wing for HMS Queen Elizabeth is dependent on the outcome of the next Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Earl Howe: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to him by my predecessor (Lord Astor of Hever) on 22 January 2015 to Question number HL4163. The number of F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to be purchased to enable carrier strike from HMS Queen Elizabeth will be determined through the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.  



Aircraft Carriers
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport

BBC: Royal Charters

Baroness Grender: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the members of the BBC Charter renewal advisory panel will be required to declare any relevant interests; and if so, what is the process for doing so.

Baroness Grender: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any declarations of interest by the members of the BBC Charter renewal advisory panel will be published.

Baroness Grender: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the BBC Charter renewal advisory panel will have the power to commission research; and, if so, from whom.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Department published the names of the Advisory Group members, as well as their principal roles, both current and former, in July 2015. This information is shown in the table below: Advisory Group MemberCurrent or former roleDawn AireySenior Vice President of Yahoo’s business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and formerly Chairman and Chief Executive of Channel 5. Dame Colette BoweChairman of the Banking Standards Board, President of the Voice of the Listener and Viewer and former Chair of Ofcom. Andrew FisherExecutive Chairman at Shazam. Darren Henley OBE CEO of Arts Council England and former Managing Director of Classic FM. Ashley HighfieldCEO of Johnston Press, one of the largest local media groups in the UK, and former director at the BBC. Alex MahonFormer CEO of Shine Group, global television content production company. Lopa Patel MBEDigital entrepreneur and founder/CEO of NewAsianPost.com and Diversity UK. Stewart Purvis OBEBritish broadcaster and academic, and former Editor-in-Chief and CEO of ITN.  The Group has no legal status or powers and no decision-making or research commissioning functions. These are not public appointments and therefore the Group is not subject to the Cabinet Office guidelines for public appointments.

BBC: Royal Charters

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government by what process the members of the BBC Charter renewal advisory panel were appointed.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The members of the Charter Review Advisory Group were appointed by invitation from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The Group is not a decision-making body, and forms one part of a wider Charter Review process which includes public consultation. As set out in the published terms of reference, additional members may be co-opted as and when required by the Chairman. Members of the Group act in a voluntary capacity and on the basis of their personal experience and expertise rather than as representatives of their respective organisations.

Archaeology

Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish the review of local government archaeology services by John Howell MP and Lord Redesdale, which was commissioned in October 2013 by the Minister for Culture, Communication and Creative Industries, Mr Ed Vaizey MP; and when they plan to announce their response.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The review of local government archaeology services usefully highlighted the imperative of ensuring that local planning authorities have the historic environment information and expertise they need to help deliver sustainable development. Historic England is currently working with the Historic Environment Forum to develop sector-led ideas for new approaches to managing change in the historic environment that make the best use of local government resources and reduce burdens.

Home Office

Electronic Tagging

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to extend the mandation of electronic tagging to include individuals under a Domestic Violence Protection Order.

Lord Bates: The Government is wholly committed to protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors. We are currently developing a refreshed strategy on violence against women and girls which will include intervening earlier in the abuse cycle to deter and rehabilitate perpetrators, as well as continuing to improve the protection for victims and bring offenders to justice.We are supportive of any tools that can assist the police to manage offenders and protect victims. The potential application of new technologies and electronic monitoring to protect victims of domestic abuse is something that we are exploring as part of our refreshed strategy and we are committed to working with police forces to test new technology. We have no immediate plans to mandate the use of electronic tagging in relation to Domestic Violence Protection Orders.

Madeleine McCann

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the cost to date of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Operation Grange; what provision has been made for funding the operation in the future; and what criteria they are using to judge how long funding should continue.

Lord Bates: The total cost of the investigation, into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Operation Grange), up until end of June 2015, is £10.1m. The Home Office has budgeted £2m for the investigation in 2015/16.The Home Office funds this work from the Special Grant budget. The level of funding provided to the Metropolitan Police in relation to this investigation is reviewed regularly and will continue to be monitored.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for each police area in England and Wales for each year between 2012 and 2015.

Lord Bates: The Government does not collate centrally information in respect of the cost of the former Police Authorities or of the Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).Under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, it is the responsibility of PCCs to determine how each police area’s funding settlement is allocated, including setting the police force budget and the running of the PCC’s office.The 2011 Act specifies that PCCs must publish key information as prescribed by the Secretary of State. The Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011 (and amended in 2012) sets out what information must be published: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/3050/contents/madeThe publication of this information enables the local electorate to judge whether the PCC is making the best use of public money at the ballot box.PCCs perform a completely different role from the old Police Authorities they replaced. PCCs are providing accountable, visible leadership, and making a real difference to policing locally.The Home Affairs Select Committee recognised in their 2014 report that individual PCCs are providing greater clarity of leadership for policing in their areas, and are increasingly recognised for the strategic direction they are providing. In contrast, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary found, in 2010, that only four of the 22 police authorities inspected were judged to have performed well in two of their primary functions: setting strategic direction and ensuring value for money.



The Elected Local Policing Bodies - Order 2011 
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Department for Energy and Climate Change

Power Stations

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the peak generating capacity of (1) Longannet, (2) Ferrybridge, (3) Ironbridge, (4) Eggborough, (5) Lynemouth and (6) Rugeley power stations; what percentage of the total generating capacity of the United Kingdom each one represents; and when those power stations are expected to close.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The installed generating capacities of each power station and expressed as a percentage of total UK generation capacity are shown in the table below.   Power StationInstalled Capacity (MW)*Percentage of total UK Generating Capacity*Longannet22602.8Ferrybridge9801.2Ironbridge3600.4Eggborough19602.4Lynemouth4200.5Rugeley10061.2 *Source: Chapter 5.10 Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electricity-chapter-5-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes   Decisions on plant closures are a commercial matter for individual plant owners. The owners of Longannet and Ferrybridge have publicly stated their intention to close these plants by 1 April 2016. Ironbridge is required to close by end 2015 under the requirements of the Large Combustion Plant Directive. The owner of Eggborough has announced the plant may cease generating at the end of March 2016.   



Chapter 5 Digest of UK Energy Stats (DUKES)
(PDF Document, 7.42 MB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Scientific Advisers

Lord Strasburger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what grounds scientific advisory committees may choose not to publish their agendas and minutes; and what assessment they have made of whether such grounds comply with the need for transparency set out in the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government is committed to openness and transparency, in particular in relation to scientific advice. The Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees sets out principles upon which departments and SACs set their own publication policy.   Defra’s Scientific Advisory Council, and Scientific Advisory Committees, may choose not to publish their agendas or minutes when they relate to: · confidential information; · there is non-disclosure associated with the meeting subject material; · Government Security Classified documents; or · commercially sensitive information.   This decision to do so is assessed against the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees. A publicly available explanation is provided when Committees decide not to publish minutes.   In assessing whether grounds for not publishing comply with the Code of Practice’s need for transparency, the committee considers: · public interest in the subject material; · the commercial impact should the material be published; · the timing of the material be published; and · the policy impact, for example, in relation to UK negotiations with another country.

Animal Products: Import Controls

Lord Hanningfield: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce legislation to ban the import of animal trophies into the United Kingdom, particularly trophies from endangered species.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Under international rules set by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, a hunting trophy of an endangered species can only be exported if the exporting country is satisfied that the hunt was both legal and sustainable in terms of its impact on the overall population of the species in that country.However, in light of growing concerns about the sustainability of the hunting of some species, we have worked within the EU to introduce stricter controls on the import of hunting trophies of particular species. This requires the importing country to also carry out an assessment of the sustainability of the hunt. In this way the import of hunting trophies of certain species from certain countries is currently prohibited by the EU.The Government considers that properly managed, legal and sustainable trophy hunting can play a part in species conservation efforts, including providing an important source of funding for some countries. As such we have no plans to introduce legislation banning the import of all animal trophies, but we will continue to monitor the impact of trophy hunting and will work with the EU and our international partners to put in place greater protection, including prohibiting imports, where this is shown to be needed.

Animal Products: Imports

Lord Hanningfield: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what records they keep of the import of animal trophies into the United Kingdom; and whether they plan to publish data regarding the number of such imports and the respective countries of origin.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The UK holds records of applications and permits issued to import hunting trophies of species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to the UK from outside the EU. We also hold information on which import permits were returned as used.The UK annually submits trade data in CITES specimens, including hunting trophies, to the CITES Secretariat, which administers the Convention. These are publically available on the CITES Trade Database on the CITES website.

Food

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish a 25-year plan to boost productivity and growth in the food and drink sectors; and whether this will include consideration of any negative consequences of increased alcohol production.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Our aim is to publish the 25 year Food and Farming Plan around the end of the year. The plan will have a strong focus on the potential for our world leading food and farming sector, including the alcoholic drinks industry, to create jobs and deliver economic growth. The issue of alcohol related harm is complex and multi-faceted, and we have regular discussions with Public Health England and the Department of Health on this and other areas of common interest.

Dolphins: Japan

Lord Taylor of Goss Moor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Japan to discourage the annual killing of dolphins in the town of Taiji in Japan.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The UK Government raises its opposition to the annual coastal dolphin hunts that take place in Taiji, Japan, at every appropriate opportunity.   In July 2015, Minister of State for Farming, Food and Marine Environment, George Eustice MP, wrote to the Japanese Government to raise the UK’s opposition to their on-going coastal hunts and continued programme of lethal scientific research on cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises).   Prior to this, the UK Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) met the Japanese Commissioner to the IWC in May 2015 and officials from the Japanese Embassy in March 2015, where he strongly re-iterated the UK Government’s opposition to their continued hunting of cetaceans. Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Japan has also written previously to the Japanese Government on this issue.

Department of Health

Nurses: Migrant Workers

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many NHS nurses they estimate will be affected by the new pay threshold for migrants; and whether they anticipate there will be a shortfall in NHS nursing staff as a result.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Home Office estimate that there were 713 visas issued to nurses in 2011/12 to whom the pay threshold and six year cap would apply if they are still resident in the United Kingdom. Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for delivering a better health and healthcare workforce for England and for ensuring a secure future supply of nurses with the right skills, values and behaviours to meet future demand.   HEE has increased nurse training places by 11% over the last two years and there are currently over 20,000 more professionally qualified clinical staff since 2010, including over 8,100 more nurses on our wards.

Nurses: Recruitment

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are targets for the recruitment of British nurses; if so, what they are; and how much it is estimated that this recruitment process will cost.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department has not set any targets for the recruitment of British nurses.   National Health Service organisations are best placed to decide how many staff they employ. Services should be tailored to meet the needs of their patients and local communities, to deliver safe care.   NHS trusts are able to recruit nurses using the NHS Jobs dedicated online recruitment service for the NHS, free of charge.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients: Children

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children aged under 18 were detained in police custody during the past 12 months, after being sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983; and what action they plan to take, if any, to prevent such detention in future.

Lord Prior of Brampton: In 2014-15 there were 145 cases of children under the age of 18 being detained in police cells after being sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983; this represents a 40% decrease from the previous year, and a 55% decrease since the figures began to be collected in 2011-12.   The Crisis Care Concordat was launched in February 2014 seeking to improve the experience of those in crisis, and in particular, prevent those detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act being held in police cells. All localities signed up to the principles of the Concordat before the end of 2014. Detailed action plans are now in place across England setting out how local partners will work together to improve service responses for people in crisis. The Department of Health, NHS England and Mind continue to work with local areas to strengthen and improve their “local Concordat action plans”.   As announced by the Home Secretary in May earlier this year, this Government will also be reforming the law on the use of police cells to end this practice altogether for under 18s. This will be backed by £15 million to improve the provision of health-based places of safety so that there is better availability of alternatives to police cells for people of all ages.

Mental Illness: Children

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been made of the mental health problems being experienced by children in the United Kingdom; and what action they plan to take, if any, to reduce the number of children aged under 10 who suffer from severe depression.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The last prevalence survey, published in 2004, found that around 10% of children were suffering from a diagnosable medical condition. Around one in a thousand children was a child aged under 10 suffering from severe depression. Based on these figures, the charity Young Minds has estimated that around 8,000 children aged under 10 suffer from severe depression.   This Government is committed to improving children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing as a major priority. All clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have been asked to work with their local partners to develop plans to transform their offer through the development of local transformation plans. These plans, alongside existing investment, should include the full spectrum of interventions: from prevention and resilience building, to support and care for existing and emerging mental health problems, as well as transitions between services and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable. This local transformation will be supported by a national programme of work, which includes piloting single points of contact so that young people have access to mental health advice and support in schools and the extension and expansion of the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme.   Additionally, the Department is commissioning a new comprehensive prevalence survey of children and young people’s mental health. The programme is on track to announce a contractor in autumn 2015, and final publication is expected in 2018. The findings of the survey will help identify where best to target improvements.

Mental Illness: Prisoners

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Oxford University study Psychiatric disorders and violent reoffending: a national cohort study of convicted prisoners in Sweden, and whether they have plans to improve the current level of diagnosis of and treatment provided to prisoners with mental health problems before their release.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We have made no assessment.   The joint National Health Service and National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) programme provides a pathway of psychologically informed services for offenders who have a severe personality disorder and who pose a high risk of harm to others or a high risk of reoffending in a harmful way.   The programme has developed a range of services to improve the assessment, treatment and management of this group of offenders from sentence through custody to community-based supervision and resettlement. The NHS is re-investing up to £30 million in OPD services in 2015-16, mainly in prisons and probation services.   In response to the objective in the Government’s Mandate to NHS England to provide better healthcare across for people in the criminal justice system in England, including improved mental health care, NHS England has introduced a range of measures to improve mainstream mental health services in prisons.   NHS England’s new national specifications for health and justice services will help to promote effective and coordinated mental health services across the prison estate in England. All 116 prison establishments now have clear commissioning strategies to improve service delivery.   NHS England has also developed new performance indicators for prison healthcare with NOMS. These Health and Justice Indicators of Performance will provide assurance that healthcare delivery in prisons, including mental health care, is fit for purpose.   Options for a new mental health pathway, connecting custody, community, as well as secure hospitals, are also being developed to ensure that any prisoner can have mental health treatment equivalent to that they would receive in the community, and that this is also available during a community sentence and after prison.

Surgery: Waiting Lists

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why, and by how many, the number of people waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment for surgery has risen since May 2010.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government by how much waiting times have risen since May 2010 for those patients who are not treated for common forms of surgery within the 18 weeks waiting limit.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Referral to treatment waiting times data, which measure waiting times from referral to the start of consultant-led treatment for non-urgent conditions, does not distinguish between patients waiting for surgery and patients waiting for other types of consultant-led treatment.   At the end of July 2015 there were 232,424 people waiting more than 18 weeks to start consultant led treatment compared to 209,411 in May 2010, an increase of 23,013 people. The main driver for this increase is the growth in demand for elective care over the period due to a range of demographic and other factors such as technological changes in the provision of care. However, the number of people waiting more than 18 weeks as a proportion of the total number of people waiting to start consultant-led treatment is lower in July 2015 than in May 2010, 7.1% of the total waiting list compared to 8.1% in May 2010.   The average median waiting times for all patients who started treatment and that involved an admission during July 2015 was 9.1 weeks compared to 8.4 weeks in May 2010. The time waited for those patients who had waited more than 18 weeks to start treatment is not separately identified.

Health Services: Armed Forces

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have, if any, to provide injured service men and women with full access to NHS facilities and treatments; and whether any such provision would be made for individuals who have access to private treatment.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Injured service men and women are able to access National Health Service facilities and treatments.   All secondary acute and community care is currently provided by the NHS for those serving in the Armed Forces and primary care is provided by the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Medical Services (DMS). In some cases, injured serving personnel can be granted temporary registration with an NHS general practitioner for primary care if authorised by the DMS for up to two years where it is in the best interest of the patient’s care.   Any patient is free to choose to fund privately a healthcare procedure, but as a result will generally be required to pay all costs associated with that procedure.